


If the Maker wills it

by KaatjeMSK



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Feelings, Fluff, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-09
Updated: 2019-02-09
Packaged: 2019-10-24 23:46:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17713976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KaatjeMSK/pseuds/KaatjeMSK
Summary: The Inquisitor is late returning from a mission and it has her commander worried. So when she finally returns Cullen has no choice but to check up on her. Some mutual teasing ensues.





	If the Maker wills it

**Author's Note:**

> It's been over a decade since I last wrote a fic! Dragon Age Inquisition seems to have reignited the fic bug in me. So here's some fluffy Cullen/Trevelyan.
> 
> Thanks to Sappig for being my beta reader! <3

He just couldn’t seem to concentrate.

Cullen put his quill down and leaned back in frustration. The Inquisitor had been gone for longer than expected and he was starting to get worried. So, here he was, sitting at his desk, trying to go about his day as normal. His mind kept wandering, going through the plan of the Inquisitor’s current mission. Each time his mind kindly supplied a more dramatic and unlikely ending, which wasn’t helping _at all_.

Maker’s breath, he shouldn’t be so worried! Evelyn was more than capable of protecting herself several times over. Besides, she wasn’t alone. If something _had_ happened to her he was sure the Iron Bull, Dorian and Varric would be perfectly able to-

“Commander, the Inquisitor has returned!” Cullen stood up so fast he startled the messenger and almost toppled over his chair in the process.

“Y-yes, thank you for letting me know. I will go see her at once.” Even to himself he sounded slightly desperate and he wanted to kick himself for it. He was the commander of the Inquisition, for Andraste’s sake! He should be able to hide his emotions from his subordinates a little better.

The messenger scurried out of the way as the commander strode past him. Cullen barely registered him as he made his way towards the Inquisitor’s quarters.

He was nearing her room just as the surgeon was leaving.

“Commander! I’ve just finished with the Inquisitor’s check-up! Took a fine beating this time!” She sighed and let out a chuckle, “I keep telling her to not throw herself into every battle head first, but will she ever listen?”

“Nothing serious, I hope?” Cullen asked, trying to not look too worried, but probably failing.

“Nothing that some Elfroot potion and rest can’t solve! She’ll definitely be a bit sore, though. Make sure she takes it easy for a few days!” The surgeon gave Cullen a pat on his pauldron-covered shoulder and walked off briskly.

-

She was at her desk when Cullen entered her rooms, flipping through some letters and frowning while doing so. Evelyn was sporting an impressive bruise on the left side of her face, which disappeared beneath the collar of her tunic, but looked otherwise fine.

She didn’t seem to notice him right away, too engrossed in this pile-up on her desk, which was no doubt Josephine’s doing. Cullen cleared his throat trying to get her attention. She immediately perked up at the sound some tension seemed to drain from her.

“Cullen.” She said fondly, getting up from her chair. She was moving gingerly as she made her way over to him. Cullen wrapped her in a warm embrace and inhaled deeply. If she grimaced as he accidently pushed on some unseen bruises, he didn’t notice.

“You had me worried, you know.” He mumbled into her hairline. He released her and stroked his thumb across the underside of her bruised chin, inspecting the myriad of different colors she was sporting there.

She looked at him knowingly, “Worried? You? I can hardly imagine.” She placed her hands on his breastplate, idly tracing the designs there with her fingers.

Cullen scoffed fondly, “Seems I had at least some reason to worry, did I not?” Gently pushing on a dark blue bruise and getting a grimace from Evelyn, “This looks impressive, even for you.”

She rolled her eyes, “Yes, well, Bull already laughed at me and rubbed it in my face all the way back to Skyhold. I will never underestimate a ledge ever again. No need for you to do it too.”

“Well, I wasn’t my intention to laugh at you.” He chuckled, touching his lips to the bruise on her face he’d just pushed on. “I just wanted to see how my Inquisitor was doing.”

Evelyn wrapped her arms around Cullen’s neck and pressed herself against him, “It’s not as bad as it looks. I’m honestly fine. I just need some time to recover, but there is already _so much_ to do. Are we sure Josephine isn’t secretly a demon?”

She emphasized this by hanging off Cullen with her full weight and letting out an exaggerated groan. “My advisors never cut their Inquisitor any slack. Woe is me!”

Cullen tutted and dipped her, “Oh my poor Inquisitor. Maybe if I had accompanied you on your mission I could’ve protected you.” He placed a kiss on the underside of her chin, before pulling her back up again. He pulled her tight against him and quirked his lips in that insufferable smirk.

“Oh, my knight in Templar armor.” Evelyn pretended to swoon, putting her full weight on her commander, “I am a useless damsel without my _strong Templar_ at my side.” She threw her head back dramatically, but couldn’t hold in her laughter.

Cullen groaned, feeling suddenly bashful. “Maker, can’t you just let a man have his little fantasies?”

Evelyn untangled herself from Cullen and leaned back against her desk, throwing him a challenging look. “Oh, you fantasize about protecting and swooping me off my feet often, commander?” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.

Cullen suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed by his confession. “Well, I-ah, I sometimes-, I _know_ you don’t need saving, but sometimes it’s, erm… _Maker’s breath_.”

He rubbed the back of his neck and felt a blush creeping onto his cheeks, “I-I don’t mean-.” He glanced up at her through his eyelashes.

Evelyn had scooted up fully onto her desk and was watching him with a fond look on her face. “I don’t mind, it’s very… cute.”

Cullen deflated and threw her a long suffering look, “Cute?”

“Cute.” Evelyn returned his look with a way too cheery one.

“Cullen Rutherford. Ex Knight-Commander of Kirkwall. Commander of the Inquisition. Cute.”

“Very much so.”

“Yes, well,” He cleared his throat, “I shall keep my fantasies to myself then.” He moved towards the bed and sat down on the edge of it in mock dejection. “Seeing as my Inquisitor doesn’t think she needs the commander of her army to protect her.”

He threw a challenging look back her way, smirking. He saw Evelyn’s eyes trace him from top to bottom as he leaned back on her bed.

Evelyn looked at him playfully, “Oh no! I wanna hear _all_ about it!” She didn’t move from her perch on her desk, “How would you come to my rescue?”

Cullen licked his lips, worrying at his scar for a bit as he mulled this over.

“Well, of course circumstances would have to be very dire. Then as everything seems lost and a demon came at you, I would jump in front of you and slay it with one strike of my sword! Clean in half!” He mimicked the movement with his arm as he said so. “Of course, since you were barely hanging on, I would turn around and catch you in my arms as you fell. Carrying you back to safety.” He leaned back again, meeting Evelyn’s gaze, who looked skeptical.

“If you could slay that demon with just one strike of your sword, I must’ve weakened it for you plenty.” She joked, crossing her legs and leaning back as well.

Cullen couldn’t help but laugh at that, “You could at least give me _some_ credit.” He sighed and looked at her with that adoring look in his eyes.

“Well, what if _I_ want to swoop in and save _you_?” Evelyn said, “Damsel Cullen Rutherford, saved by the _Herald of Andraste_!” Evelyn pulled herself up to her full height, hand on her heart, to emphasize her title.

Cullen was looking at her from his position on the bed, lips quirking into a sly smile before he could help himself.

“Ah yes, _poor_ Templar boy Cullen Rutherford.” He began dramatically, “Strayed from the Maker’s path and in _desperate_ need of saving.”

Evelyn giggled, “Oh _no_!”

“The poor Templar knight has lost his way on the Maker’s Path. So the Maker sends him the Herald of Andraste to-“ He pulled a hand through his hair and tousled it, “-sweep him off his feet and show him the way.”

“Noooo.” Evelyn pulled a face, waving her hands in a dismissive manner, while still laughing, “Forget I said anything!”

Cullen tried to hide the grin on his face as he met Evelyn’s eyes, but evidently his heart wasn’t in it. She was still perched on her desk, eyeing him with a look that seemed both amused and lightly exasperated.

Cullen threw his head back, “ _Oh Herald!_ ” He continued, “I have lost sight of the Maker, but now he has sent you to deliver me.” He met her eyes as he bit at his bottom lip. “I am lost and cannot find my way. Herald, I need to you _take me_.”

He let himself fall back on the bed with a overdramatic moan. He stared up at the drapes surrounding him and burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all. Who would’ve ever thunk it? Cullen Rutherford, as timid as he was, prostrating himself on his ladyship’s bed and begging her to take him, even jokingly?

Suddenly the claws of embarrassment seemed to take hold. He felt his confidence and playfulness drain from him. Had he gone too far? Would Evelyn mock him for it? She made him feel safe enough to show his playful side to her, but what if this side of him wasn’t what she expected? Whenever he’d opened up to anyone in the past he would usually be mocked for it, or it would be used against him. Was he lowering his guard too much? Still, he enjoyed being able to show his boyish side to someone again, it felt so freeing to let go after such a long time of keeping up appearances. But what if? What if?

He started to raise himself up on his elbows, blushing fiercely. “Evelyn, I’m sorry if I-.”

Evelyn was suddenly upon him, straddling his hips. Painful bruises and tired limbs be damned. She had his face clasped in both hands and was kissing him soundly. Cullen couldn’t help the startled sound that escaped him, but kissed her back when his brain had caught up with him. Tracing his hands up her back and settling them on her waist, he pulled her as close as possible. Cullen felt his previous apprehension slowly drain away.

When they parted Evelyn looked at him with mirth in her eyes. Cullen felt his heart flutter at the sight of it. Maybe showing this side of him wasn’t such a bad idea after all. A hand on his breastplate pushed him slowly back onto the bed. She was looming over him. Cullen was lying flat on the mattress, his hands resting possessively on Evelyn’s thighs. He was feeling slightly trapped between the soft surface of the mattress, his armor weighing him down, the fur of his collar surrounding his head and Evelyn’s hips pinning him to the bed. He was surprised to find that he quite enjoyed this feeling.

Evelyn leaned down and captured his lips in another kiss, moving her fingers towards the clamps that kept his armor fastened. When the first of the belts and clamps came undone the movement of it shot through Cullen’s body. She caught his gaze as she was about to push the first part of his armor away.

“Worry not, poor Templar. The Herald of Andraste is here to _take_ you.”

And Cullen let her.


End file.
